North Korea has reportedly fired two surface-to-air missiles near its border with China, a reminder of the communist regime's ability to foment instability in the region, amid the ongoing standoff over its nuclear weapons programme.

Japan's Kyodo news agency cited a "security source" in China as saying the missiles were fired towards China by mistake during a military drill, and apparently landed in the North.

The agency also cited a "western military source" as saying that the short-range missiles were test-fired easterly towards the Sea of Japan.